Today's ultrasound systems have limited, fixed functionality and require sophisticated user control. Most ultrasound systems cannot provide multiple simultaneous functions. The ultrasound systems that can provide multiple simultaneous functions have the functions as fixed functions that are not flexible to user demands or need for adaptation. Accordingly, in these systems, a selection between different functions may be available, however, no deviations that relate, for example, to timing of the fixed functions is possible. For example, in the case of ultrasound systems, it may be possible to have a Doppler beam and a B-mode beam. The combined functions, resulting from the use of the different beams, are provided as preprogrammed solutions. These solutions are selected, for example, by using a touch of a button. However, there is no flexibility provided to the user of the system for changes that require the reconfiguring and reshuffling of the timed scheduled actions that are included in the preprogrammed solutions.
Moreover, some current imaging systems allow for combinations of, for example, a photoacoustic and ultrasound imager. These imaging systems use hardware counters to divide a clock to generate timing pulses for a transducer that supports both photoacoustic and ultrasound events. However, these imaging systems provide little in the form of flexibility to adapt to needs of modern ultrasound imaging that may require changes that befit a specific imaging situation. Other imaging systems provide ways for continuous interleaving of, for example, ultrasound beams. However, such interleaving is limited in its flexibility and being able to address the needs of future ultrasound imaging.
An operator of these current ultrasound apparatuses is required to be skilled in the operation of the machine. For example, the operator needs to be trained and capable of directing beams to the desired bodily object to be tested. Thus, the operator is required to know how to appropriately move the probes used to achieve a desired image. As a result of the requirement to have highly skilled personnel to operate the current ultrasound systems, whether in medical applications or others, use of the current ultrasound systems is limited by the availability of such highly skilled personnel. Furthermore, even for a skilled operator, it might prove a challenge to perform some of the more complicated ultrasound actions (e.g., locate an object on or within another object).